GROW OP CONCERNS COULD BE VALID: OWNER

Medical Marijuana: Tapiero Appears Before Council

PORT HOPE - A proposed grow operation for medical marijuana in Ward 2
of the Municipality of Port Hope could be larger than it originally appeared.

A Toronto man, who was known as Jacob Tapiero, identified himself as
Neev Jacob Tapiero to Port Hope council Tuesday night when speaking
on his grow operation.

Tapiero was involved in a drug bust by Toronto's 51 Division at
Toronto's C.A.L.M., a "not illegal" medical cannabis club on March
31, but he was released without restrictions during a bail hearing,
Ron Marzel, counsel for Tapiero said.

But due to the publicity, Tapiero felt it necessary to identify
himself as the person involved with C.A.L.M.

"The issue of medical marijuana is new and emerging in Canada,"
Tapiero said. "We require privacy and secrecy."

Yet he told council that he was open and transparent about his plans,
saying he spoke with municipal staff about his plan to operate a
licensed grow operation in the municipality and even informed
Northumberland OPP Inspector Doug Borton a little over a year ago.

"There is no requirement to be transparent," Tapiero said. "But
before the property was obtained, it was on the understanding that
this was the plan."

He said the value of the plants he intends to grow is about $3,000 a
pound and that anyone from teenagers to hardened criminals would like
to have access to it, thus the need for secrecy.

He identified risks to growers from people being killed, kidnapped and robbed.

"Unspeakable things happen to people (over drugs) whether legal or
not," he said.

Although he assured council that he could only produce enough medical
cannabis on the property for two patients, after being asked several
times just how many plants he could grow in the 4,000-square-foot
agricultural building, he skirted the issue and said it was like
talking about the length of a piece of string.

When asked directly in an interview following the meeting, Tapiero
said it takes between 500 and 800 square feet to grow 25 plants.
Twenty-five is the number Health Canada allows per licensed patient
and Tapiero already has one licence to produce and is expecting a
second to be approved shortly.

He could then use up to 1,600 of the 4,000 square feet but there's
nothing stopping him from letting a second producer use the property
to grow an additional 50 plants.

"We've been duped into believing there will only be one grower,"
resident Lee Winfield said.

Mayor Linda Thompson replied that she understood from Health Canada's
Jeannine Richaud, director of medical cannabis, that there are two
addresses with two growers per address.

With Health Canada allowing for 25 plants per patient, and up to two
patients per grower, that could mean 100 plants per facility.

Still, Tapiero said that, judging by the Port Hope residents he spoke
with, they are "more comfortable with cannabis than uranium".

As for security, Tapiero said the location has already been revealed
and he's concerned with the damage that could do to his plans.

"It's been a chaotic few days," Tapiero said. "I can undo a lot of
the damage done by the bust in Toronto, but once security is
breached, it creates a problem."

He said he thought he has undone a lot of the damage by speaking with
council, but there is still more work to do.

Most residents in the crowded council chambers were concerned about
an unmanned grow operation out in the middle of nowhere, with no
police around the corner, but Tapiero said there would be someone
living in the residential component of the facility 24 hours a day.

Councillor Karen O'Hara was very interested in how to acquire a
licence to possess medical marijuana, and was told there are three
legal ways to obtain it: grow it yourself; have someone grow it for
you; or purchase it from Health Canada.

He said Health Canada grows a low-grade marijuana that is not good
for many illnesses people use medical marijuana for.

"Some strains are good for cancer, others for HIV, and others for
epilepsy," he said. "There are several strains, and Health Canada
only supplies one type."

He called Health Canada an extremely stubborn and arrogant organization.

"Science tells us different strains for different ailments," he said.
"Health Canada's is of a low-grade potency and is exposed to
radiation to control mould."

He added that it's also chopped up into a fine powder where patients
prefer buds in their cannabis.

Residents spoke at length about security issues and what type of
crime would come with growing marijuana in the area.

Neighbour Julie Thompson, no relation to Mayor Linda Thompson, said
she looks out at Tapiero's property and she is not impressed.

She agreed with Tapiero's concerns about security and said Tapiero
did not provide any assurances these issues would be addressed.

Winfield said he is concerned that the plans don't just include the
indoor grow facility, but that there are about 75 acres of
"organic-ready" lands to grow more on, adding that Tapiero and his
associates are skirting the laws.

Mayor Thompson said they have already asked numerous questions of
Health Canada and intend to add the residents' questions and concerns
to the list.

She said the information will be compiled by staff once it is
received and a report brought back to council as soon as possible.